


Waiting for a Star to Fall

by NotHereNJ (efficaceous)



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: "Mikayla" Milkovich, 5+1 Things, AU, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - High School, Canon typical slurs and violence, F/F, Femslash, Fluff, Genderswap, Non-Explicit, One Shot, SFS2020, Shameless (US) Femslash Week, Tumblr made me do it, genderbent, goofy little love story, just trying to see if I could do it, “Leeann" Gallagher
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:22:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26434114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/efficaceous/pseuds/NotHereNJ
Summary: 5 times Leeann Clayton Gallagher tried to get Mikayla Alexandra Milkovich’s attention, and 1 time she finally succeeded.
Relationships: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Leeann Gallagher/Mikayla Milkovich
Comments: 3
Kudos: 43





	1. Phase 1: Compliment

Leeann Clayton Gallagher had known Mikayla Alexandra Milkovich their whole lives, it felt like. The older girl had been on the periphery of every major event in Leeann’s life it seemed. When Leeann had a solo in ballet as a kid, and forgotten her routine, Mikayla had given the audience the finger, taking the attention off of Leeann long enough for her to recover. 

The first time Mikayla went to juvie, Leeann was there with Mandy to welcome her home, even if Mikayla had quickly blown them off to go drink with her brothers. Mikayla had stolen from the Kash’n’Grab where Leeann worked, not even sly about it, filling up box after box with supplies Leeann knew full well she couldn’t afford, and her father certainly wasn’t buying: pads, tampons, advil, laundry soap, chocolate bars. 

When had Leeann’s fascination with Mikayla turned into more? She could never say. She’d be studying with Mandy at the house, and Mikayla would slide silently through the room. Leeann’s eyes would be drawn to her, unable to look away from the closely cropped dark pixie cut Mikayla kept, the baggy clothes she wore that were clearly hand-me-downs, from the tattoos on that creamy skin.

Mandy had noticed, of course. She knew Leeann was queer, but Mandy liked dick. It made it easier to be her friend, because they were never competing for partners, and could easily gossip about each other’s sex life for hours. So Leeann’s crush wasn’t lost on Mandy, though it wasn’t encouraged either. 

“She never showers, she doesn’t shave her legs or her pits, and she burps and farts like a guy! It’s just gross.”

Leeann shrugged. She didn’t know why she liked Mikayla, why the thought of an unshaved pussy makes her mouth water, it just  _ does _ . Or maybe it’s just because it’s Mikayla. It wasn’t just physical either. Mikayla had this weird dark sense of humor, this essential toughness that Leeann respected. All the girls at school and on Scissr were pretty things, they wanted Leeann to do all the work, plan all the dates, fucking woo them. It was exhausting. 

So she’d developed a plan to see if Mikayla, maybe, could like her back. It was going to have to be a delicate operation, fuck, Mandy couldn’t even tell her if Mikayla was gay, ace, straight, anything. Apperantly Mikayla never talked about sex, like,  _ at all _ .

\---

Leeann waited beside Mikayla’s locker. It was in a different hallway than hers, because Mikayla was a senior. She’d been held back twice; really she was a year older than Lip. Leeann kept scanning the crowd, waiting for Mikayla, looking for the short, dark figure. But of course, Mikayla surprised her, coming out of a book room across the hall.

“Mikayla, hey, hi there.” Time to put on a smile, Leeann reminded herself.

“Gallagher. You lookin’ for Mandy?” Mikayla’s brows were drawn down, and she looked aggrieved to see Leeann. Maybe irritated? Not happy.

“No, nope, not Mandy.” She was babbling, and she knew it. 

_ Fuck. Get it together! _

“I was just thinking…” her voice trailed off as Mikayla stared at her. Those blue eyes always caught her attention, made her lose her train of thought.

“Ok, well, keep tryin’ to think, I need into my locker, so move it, k?” Mikayla gave her a push with one shoulder.

The pressure and heat of Mikayla’s shoulder, even through all their clothing, brought Leeann’s focus back to the present. “Right! Yeah, ok, so- I was thinking about your- um, your,” she looked Mikayla up and down quickly, trying to find  _ something  _ to compliment. “Your boots! I was thinking about how great they are!”

Mikayla sighed, clearly not impressed by the babbling, even if it ended in flattery. “Thanks, fifteen bucks at Wal-Mart. Men’s department though. Or I can boost you a pair if you don’t have the cash?”

It shouldn’t have made Leeann’s heart beat faster to have Mikayla offer to steal her something but, hey, she liked what she liked. Maybe she wasn’t being direct enough with the compliment?

“No, thanks though. I just think they look good on you.”

“Whatever, firecrotch. Gotta go, day old chicken nuggets wait for no woman.”

She left Leeann there, watching, slightly agape as she walked away. Phase 1 was a total bust.


	2. Phase 2: Clarification

In the cafeteria during her own lunch period, Leeann debriefed with her friend. “Ugh, Mandy, it was so awful. She acted like I was just an- an annoyance!”

“To be fair, you are pretty fucking annoying. Why are you so hung up on my sister, anyway? She might not even be a dyke.” Mandy sipped loudly from the long straw sticking out of her coke can. At the next table, a group of guys laugh raucously at some unheard joke.

“I know but, have you seen her hair? She’s a total masc and I’m apperantly a slut for that brand of lesbian.”

“A haircut isn’t the same as coming out, Leeann. Hey, does Mikayla even know…” Mandy’s voice trailed off as they both came to the same realization.

“Oh my god, you’re right!” Leeann cradled her head in her hands in frustration. “Does Mikayla even know I’m queer? What if she thinks I’m just really, really friendly?”

“You can’t be annoying  _ and  _ really friendly, bitch.”

“Listen, how can I tell Mikayla I’m sapphic without like, saying shit?”

“Rainbow flag? Pink triangle? Buzzcut?” The suggestions continued from there, each more outlandish than the last, ending with Mandy recommending that Leeann find a girl to hook up with in Mikayla’s own bed, and then just casually invite Mikayla to join in.

“But I don’t want a three-way. I just want  _ Mikayla _ .” Leeann was aware of the whine in her voice, and Mandy piled all their lunch trash on one tray. 

“Stop being a pussy and go throw our shit out. Come over after school and we’ll see what we can do, ok?”

\---

After school, Mandy and Leeann sat in the living room of the Milkovich house, ostensibly doing homework, but mostly just gossiping and insulting each other, eating PB&J sandwiches. Mandy was texting a guy, though she wouldn’t tell Leeann who he was. Leeann was just trying to kill time until Mikayla got home and she could put Phase 2 into effect.

The sky was darkening and the streetlights had come on by the time Mikayla rolled in, her gait indicating that she’d been drinking, or possibly smoking weed after school. She was loose limbed in a way Leeann didn’t usually see her, and the stress crinkles around her eyes were relaxed.

Mandy elbowed Leeann, and they began the farce.

“I know I’m not seeing anyone, but can you  _ believe  _ that guy was hitting on me at lunch?”

“Yeah, that was crazy,” Mandy supplied.

Mikayla had stopped in the kitchen, rifling through the fridge.

“Did he know I’m not even into guys?” Leeann made her voice as loud as she could short of shouting, wanting to be certain Mikayla got the message.

Mandy had no such compunctions, and went right to a stage yell. “I KNOW. YOU’RE SO GAY YOU PROBABLY QUEEF RAINBOWS.”

Leeann kicked Mandy in the shin, mouthing  _ ‘Chill _ !’

When Mikayla came out of the kitchen, carrying a small tower of snacks and a giant mug of a steaming beverage that smelled like coffee, Leeann stared, hoping the message had been received. But the older girl didn’t even make eye contact.

Mandy sighed dramatically, taking one for the team. “Didja hear that, Mikayla? Leeann here is queer.”

“Yeah?” Leeann’s heart stopped as Mikayla paused in her walkthrough. “Fuckin’ good for her. Don’t let Dad find out though.”

As she disappeared into her bedroom, she kicked the door shut with one booted heel and Leeann collapsed back on the couch in frustration.

“Good for her? What the fuck was that, Mandy?”

“That was Phase 2 succeeding. Mikayla knows you like chicks now. Just wait, if she’s interested, she’ll make a move.” Mandy’s tone was smug and certain.


	3. Phase 3: Camaraderie

But Mikayla didn’t make a move, and Leeann was beyond frustrated. It wasn’t like Mikayla hadn’t seen her since that evening; she’d been everywhere Leeann was, suddenly. Stopping by the Kash’n’Grab for a candy bar, on the bleachers during Leeann’s track practice, even slouching on the stoop across the street from the place Leeann got her hair trimmed (she’d gone for a new undercut, with the rest of her strawberry hair falling around her chin). 

If she didn’t know better, she’d think Mikayla might have been following her around, but every time, Mikayla was engaged in some other, semi-legitimate activity: selling weed, making a purchase, or just sleeping. How the woman could look so ungodly beautiful asleep was a mystery, but Leeann wanted to watch her snooze, nap, or even passed out,  _ whatever _ . Just gaze and study that pale skin, the faint freckles across Mikayla’s nose, those full lips- it wasn’t  _ fair  _ how pretty she was and how no one else seemed to notice.

Mandy had pretty much thrown up her hands after the fiasco in her living room.

“Look, maybe she’s straight-” 

Leeann had scoffed loudly, “-Straight? Are we talking about Mikayla here? What straight woman acts, dresses, or looks like that?”

“Ok, dude, that’s still my sister we’re talking about. Maybe she’s deep in the closet, the whole Terry thing.”

_ That made sense, actually.  _

“Maybe if I make it clear I like her, she’ll feel, I dunno, safer?”

Mandy had rolled her eyes. “Sure, ok.  _ Safety  _ isn’t what a Milkovich looks for.”

“Then what do I do?”

“Ok, I can’t speak for Mikayla exactly, cause we’ve never discussed it, but for me, I’m looking for someone strong, someone exciting, someone who’s funny, and who doesn’t annoy me every second of the day.”

“Yeah, I can’t be any of that shit. Let’s try my way.”

“It’s your funeral.”

\---

It had taken Leeann a few days to find just the right time, but on Thursday after track practice, she hiked up the bleacher stairs, legs wobbling with fatigue. She’d run harder and faster than ever before, the awareness of Mikayla up there propelling her to push herself, even if everytime she looked, Mikayla wasn’t watching.

She stood over the spot where Mikayla had camped out, reclining, using her tattered backpack as a pillow. Leeann’s shadow blocked out the sun falling on Mikayla’s face, and those bright blue eyes popped open.

“Can I  _ help  _ you?” Her tone wasn’t friendly, but it wasn’t an outright insult, so that was something. Maybe.

“I just- hi.”

“Hey. You’re kinda blockin’ my light here, Brigitte Nielson.”

“Who?” Leeann was confused.

“Movie star? Hooked up with Flava Flav? She’s really tall- you know what, never fuckin mind.”

“Sorry, I- anyway, I just wanted to talk to you.”

“Ok… here I am. Shoot.” Mikayla’s expression was wary, guarded.

“Mikayla, I really like you, an I don’t want you to hate me-”

“-Gallagher, relax, it’s cool. I don’t hate you-” Leeann’s heart stopped at Mikayla’s words, watching those red, full lips as they formed the sounds. “- _ buddy _ ,” and dropped, “don’t gotta make a big deal out of it.”

“Buddies. Right. Great. I gotta go-” Leeann hiked a thumb in the general direction of the locker rooms. “- shower. With the team. So I’ll- uh, I’ll see you around.”

She turned and trudged down the metal steps, downcast. On the one hand, it was good to know Mikayla didn’t hate her, but how was she  _ so  _ obtuse? Leeann hadn’t meant platonically. She meant sexually, romantically, maybe even emotionally. 

Was Mikayla Milkovich even capable of those feelings? Had this been her subtle way of blowing Leeann off, telling her she wasn’t interested? 

_ Fuck, she was all tied up in knots over Mikayla, and nothing was making sense. _


	4. Phase 4: Competition.

Leeann and Mikayla had been hanging out a lot lately, as  _ buddies _ . Mikayla would wait on the bleachers while Leean ran track, and then they’d head back to one of their houses to play video games. If they went to Mikayla’s, they’d usually find Mandy watching some sappy romance movie, and bully her into switching it to an action flick. If they ended up at the Gallagher’s they’d be in Leeann and Debbie’s room, smoking weed and giving lip service to their homework. One of those visits had just ended with Mikayla slouching out of the back door, leaving Leeann in the kitchen with Lip, who looked on in amusement.

“So now you’re friends with Mikayla Milkovich?” Lip’s voice was half confused, half admiring.

“Ugh, don’t remind me. I was trying to hit on her, for like, the thousandth time, and she just acted like I was offering her a squished bug. Like when a little kid comes over and shows you something they think is cool, but it’s actually gross, but you have to pretend it’s not gross, so-”

Lip held both hands up in protest. “-Ok, ok, relax. I get it. How do girls even tell each other they like each other? Is there some kind of code word?”

“If I knew, we wouldn’t be having this conversation!” Leeann’s voice was pitchy and high with frustration.

“Look, if our roles were reversed, and I was interested in someone who seemed to only see me as a friend, I’d find an opportunity to show them that there were people who wanted me, show off and make ‘em a little jealous.”

Leeann’s eyes were wide. “Does that really work?”

“Worked on Karen.” 

“Yeah, until you made her kiss me to prove I was a lesbian,” Leeann reminded him. She knew it was a sore subject but if she had to feel emotional pain, she didn’t want to be the only one. Predictably, Lip took the bait.

“It’s not my fault my girlfriend was also a lesbian!” He was squawking, the way he always did when he felt wrongly maligned. 

“I think she’s bi, actually.” Truthfully, Leeann knew for sure. She hadn’t been willing to date her own brother’s ex, but she’d seen Karen canoodling with a chick in the back row of the movie theater, clearly failing a hand-check.

“Anyway, fuck Karen. Find a chick to flirt with in front of Mikayla, see how she reacts. Worst case scenario, she ignores the whole thing and I have to find a new weed dealer.”

  
  


\---

Finding a hot girl to hook up with wasn’t as hard as Leeann had expected. Honestly, picking the right hot girl was harder: they were all so boring and pastel. Eventually, she settled on Svetlana, a new transfer student from Russia. Svet was tall and thin, with an angular, cat-like face. She was less boring than the rest of the crowd, at least, and perfectly amenable to Leeann’s awkward and blunt overtures.

“Wanna make out by the bleachers after school today?”

Svet looked her up and down, and gave a sharp nod, before walking off.

\---

3:05 pm found the two of them locking lips by the side of the track before Leeann’s practice started. Once again, Mikayla was up in the stands, either asleep, or maybe comatose. 

Leeann kept trying to angle her body so she could keep an eye on Mikayla. Svet seemed determined to slide her cold hands inside Leeann’s shirt, so Leeann spent most of her energy trying to deflect those advances. When they finally broke apart, panting slightly, Leeann’s eyes automatically shot to the bleachers, trying to see if her efforts had any effect.

“Carrot girl not so interested in kissing? Maybe prefers dirty, short girl who fights with boys?”

Leeann’s head snapped back to Svet in shock. Svet’s smile was as cold as her hands had been on Leeann’s skin. 

“S-sorry, Svet. It’s not you, I’m just- I’m a little messed up, I guess.”

“I understand. Dirty girl didn’t notice. Should we try again?”

Wide-eyed, Leeann nodded. This kiss was more clinical, performative, not even a trace of improvisation on either of their parts.

This time, Svetlana broke the kiss first. Sliding her hands over Leeann’s shoulders to pull her close, Svet whispered in her ear, “Dirty girl sees and leaves.”

Leeann tried to glance up at the stands casually, and failed, so she turned her whole body to look around wildly for Mikayla. But the other girl had disappeared without a trace, it seemed.

_ Another fucking strike out. _


	5. Phase 5: Cocksure

“What if you take her on a date, but you don’t tell her it’s a date,” Carl suggested. It was 11pm, and Leeann was trying to get him to go to sleep. She’d just brought him a final glass of cold water, and was now trying very hard to escape to her own room to finish her homework.

“Huh?” Leeann was ready to take nearly any suggestion at this point, but she didn’t quite understand Carl’s idea.

“Like you both just happen to be doing something romantical together, by accident.”

“Romantic, Carl, not romantical.”

“Whatever. Like going to Sizzler, or sneakin into a movie together.”

She hated to admit it, but Carl’s idea might actually work. She would be able to see how Mikayla reacted in a romantic situation without actually having yet another uncomfortable conversation where she’d be misunderstood, perhaps deliberately, yet again. 

\---

With Mandy’s help, Leeann was able to strategize and come up with a solid plan. Well, a rough plan, that depended on a lot of moving parts all working right in unison. But still. 

On a night when they agreed the weather was just right (not too cold or too hot, clear skies) Mandy texted Leeann that Mikayla had arrived home for the night. Then Lip texted Mikayla, asking her to come meet him so he could buy some weed. Now Leeann owed Mandy and Lip each a favor and some weed, but so far it was working. 

Mikayla was on her way to the baseball field where Leeann had laid out an old blanket. She had her backpack stuffed with snacks, all the things she’d seen Mikayla steal over the years, BBQ pringles, Snickers bars, and an assortment of cookies. If those failed, she also had a few cans of beer and a pack of Mikayla’s brand of cigarettes. Leeann had watched her a few times at the Milkovich house, eyes always drawn to those short cropped nails as she held the cigarette loosely, and the way she cocked her jaw as she smoked. 

She heard Mikayla before she saw her, that particular way she had of walking, as though on the balls of her feet, ready to fight or flee at any moment. 

“Hey, hi! C’mere.”

Mikayla looked around, a little confused and a lot suspicious. 

“It’s ok! Lip sent me instead. And I thought it was such a nice night, I’d do some of my Astronomy homework out here.” This lie was transparent, if Mikayla had been paying attention to any of Leeann’s schedule or classes she’d know Leeann had Zoology this semester, not Astronomy. She patted the blanket invitingly, hoping to entice Mikayla to sit.

Clearly uncomfortable, Mikayla folded her legs and dropped gracelessly onto the blanket. “Lip sent you?”

“Yeah, he had something come up, so here I am!” The relentless good cheer in Leeann’s voice was probably another tell. 

“You got the cash?” Mikayla wasn’t falling for shit, unfortunately.

“Uh, yep, it’s in here somewhere.” Leeann didn’t have cash, actually, but she started pulling out all the snacks while she dug to the bottom of her backpack as Mikayla looked on.

“Huh, ok, hang on,” she lied. “Gotta be here, help yourself in the meantime.” Leeann gestured to the small pile of food that had grown in front of them. Mikayla eyed the mound warily, perhaps sensing some type of trap.

“Gallagher.”

“Hmm?” Leeann didn’t even look at Mikayla, just kept reaching her hand into the bottom of the empty school bag, uselessly feeling around for what she knew damn well wasn’t there.

“If you don’t have the cash, I can front Lip, this one time. He’s a good customer, plus, I know where you live.”

Fuck, Mikayla was being  _ nice _ , and that wasn’t the  _ point _ ! Leeann slid the hand that wasn’t digging in the bag over the blanket, until it was just next to Mikayla’s hand. 

“That’s - that’d be- yeah, great, I just- I really thought I put it in here.” The hand in the bag didn’t stop its futile search, while at the same, Leeann subtly (she thought) slid her free hand over Mikayla’s, fingers resting easily over Mikayla’s skinny wrist. 

“Gallagher, what the- fuck off with that shit!” 

_ Not so subtle then. Shit.  _

Mikayla pulled her hand away angrily, and jumped up. 

“Tell your fuckin’ brother he can come to me next time, I ain’t comin’ to meet him anymore.” And she stalked off into the night. 

Frustrated, disappointed, and mad at herself, Leeann flopped back on the blanket, staring up at the uncaring stars. 

A star shot past, falling from the sky. Leeann wished, bitterly, that she’d never listened to ten-year-old’s romantic advice.


	6. +1: Combat and Candor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief mentions of the threat of sexual assault, and mentions of menstrual blood.

It was two weeks later, and Leeann hadn’t seen Mikayla at all. Every time she hung out with Mandy, Mikayla’s bedroom door stayed firmly shut. At school, Mikayla had been a ghost, not even showing up to sleep during track practice. Leeann knew she’d fucked it all up with her stupid date idea. 

As she trudged to work in the early morning hours on Sunday, Leeann thought back over her whole plan. If she’d just wanted Mikayla to like her, she’d gotten that. They’d been friends, until she’d gone and ruined everything. She felt selfish, and small. If she could just get over Mikayla, just accept what she was offered, and not long for more… But that wasn’t even possible anymore. 

There was a scuffling noise from an alley, and Leeann peered into the gloom, trying to see what it was. Probably a stray cat, or a bum.

“Get _off_ me. you fucking tool!”

_Oh, shit. That voice..._

That was Mikayla down there, trying to fight someone off! Leeann charged down the alley, heedless of the darkness or danger. 

At the very end of the alley, Mikayla lay sprawled on the ground below a heavy-set older man in his 30’s or 40’s. Her blue eyes were blazing, but her lower lip quivered, and Leeann’s heart ached for her. The man hadn’t noticed Leeann creeping up on him. While she didn’t have a weapon, he didn’t seem to either, and she had a mean left hook. 

“Terry sent me,” the man growled, and Mikayla looked even more pissed off than before.

“Oh, so now he’s sending flunkies? Tell him to come beat the gay out of me himself, if he’s so fuckin’ torn up about it!” The words were spit from Mikayla, tough words, but Leeann thought it was bravado. 

“He didn’t send me here to _hit_ ya, Mikayla.” Leeann could feel the man’s creepy leer from where she stood, waiting for just the right moment. “He sent me to fuck you straight, and I wasn’t complainin’ about it, neither.”

That was the final straw- Leeann howled and launched herself at the man, her first hit landing on his kidney as he turned to face the dervish that had leapt from the dark at him. Leeann saw Mikayla scrambling to her feet, so at least she wasn’t badly hurt.

The guy shook his whole body like a wet dog, and Leeann was flung off, hitting the brick wall so hard her teeth clacked together, narrowly missing biting the tip of her tongue off.

“Hey, asshole!”

Both Leeann’s and the would-be attacker’s attention were drawn back to Mikayla, who stood, feet braced apart, one hand held aloft, fingers dripping with- was that _blood_?

“My dad tells you to rape his own daughter and you jump at it? Fat chance- it’s fuckin shark week down here, no way you coulda kept it up through this!” Mikayla drew back her arm and flung the thick liquid at the man. His whole face was splattered with what appeared to be menstrual blood. 

Leeann was fucking impressed; it took big balls to reach into your own underwear and pull that out, let alone throw it at someone else.

The man was horrified, yelping loudly and scraping his face with his hands, his sleeves, and anything else he could catch hold of. 

Leeann put out one hand to Mikayla, and could see her thinking, considering. 

“Just take my hand, ok? Let’s get out of here already.”

Mikayla nodded, but stepped up to the man first. His eyes were closed, and he was practically crying, so when Mikayla kicked him in the nuts, he went down _hard_.

Finally, Mikayla took her hand with her clean one, and they hurried out of the alley, leaving her erstwhile attacker on the ground.

They ran down the street, hand in hand, until they got to the Kash’n’Grab and Leeann used her key to let them in. It wasn’t even 7 am, and the streets had been deserted. Didn’t mean she wanted to wait out in public for the guy to recover and come for them.

Their eyes met, and the adrenaline of the situation got the best of them: they dissolved into laughter. Leeann couldn’t keep her feet, she tried leaning on the counter and ended up sliding down it to sit on the floor, taking in great whooping breaths between giggles. Mikayla had doubled over, clean hand and red hand pressed to her knees as she tried to regain her breath. 

Every time Leeann thought she had it back under control, she’d meet Mikayla’s gaze, and lose it again. 

Finally, finally, their laughter petered out, and they stood in the silent store. It was a tiny bit awkward, so Leeann opened the cooler and pulled out two cans of soda, handing one to Mikayla gently. 

As they drank, Leeann watched Mikayla openly.

Noticing, Mikayla shot her the bird with her red tipped fingers, then casually brought her middle finger to her mouth, sucking on it.

“Uh, Mikayla, I don’t wanna kinkshame, but that’s probably not-”

“Shut up, Gallagher, it ain’t period blood. S’ raspberry jelly, from one of Mandy’s shitty sandwiches. I’m not against gettin my red wings, but this ain’t the time or the place.”

Leeann gaped at her. That was- what the man in the alley had said- that meant- Mikayla was. “Mikayla, you’re gay!” The words came out closer to an accusation than an expression of joy, but Mikayla didn’t even flinch.

“No shit, Ginger Spice.” Mikayla rolled her eyes, but Leeann was still stuck on the point. 

“I thought we were friends, why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice was plaintive. 

“You go around tellin’ all your friends you like eatin’ at the Y?”

“I mean, no, but they all kind of figure it out, I guess?”

“And now you figured it out, too. Just like the rest of your friends.” Mikayla took a giant swig of her soda.

Leeann took a deep breath. It was now or never. “Mikayla, I don’t just like you like a friend, I like _like_ you. You’re like, my favorite person, I want to be around you all the time, and I just- Jesus fucking christ, I wanna date you, ok?”

Mikayla’s eyes got wide, and her mouthful of soda sprayed as she did a spit-take.

“Seriously, Gallagher?” She seemed to be looking for something, assurance it wasn’t a joke, maybe?

“Yeah, Mikayla, seriously.”

“Wait, is that what this’s all been about? The followin’ me around, asking about my boots?”

Leeann looked at the floor. “Maybe, yeah?”

“What else?”

“What dya mean, what else?”

“I mean, are we even friends, or has this all been a big scheme from day one? Did you just make friends with Mandy to get to me?”

“God, Mikayla, relax, it wasn’t some giant conspiracy. Mandy and I have been friends for years.”

“You mean to say you haven’t had a thing for me for _years_?”

Leeann didn’t reply: they both knew she probably had. She kept her eyes on her feet, looking at the old Converse hi-tops she’d covered completely in various doodles. Hearts, moebius strips, her initials ( _Mikayla’s initials, under a dark black marker star_ ), grass stains, from the ballfield where she’d tried to con Mikayla into being on a date with her, and now a new visual, a bright red spot of raspberry jam on one toe.

Mikayla had stepped closer to her, while she was musing on her shoes. Now they were practically nose to nose, and Leeann was losing herself in those blue eyes. 

_Fathomless, this must be what drowning men see._

Suddenly, she felt a warm hand slip into her own. Leeann looked down to where Mikayla had threaded their hands together, then back up at her face. 

“Mikayla?” She didn’t feel like she had the words, that she even knew what to ask.

“Gallagher,” Mikayla was smiling up at her, and Leeann’s face automatically smiled back, so unused to seeing such an open expression on Mikayla’s face. “Thanks for waitin’. Took me a while to see it too.”

Mikayla came up on her tiptoes, her free hand clutching at Leeann’s arm, and pressed their lips together gently. It was the exact opposite of what Leeann had thought their first kiss would be like and she lost her breath, lost in Mikayla. She’d expected hiding, passion, maybe a life-or-death situation with their first kiss, but this, this was sweet and dark, like that star shooting across the clear night’s sky. This was the beginning of everything. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea why or how this happened.  
> I saw it on Tumblr and wanted to see if I could, and here we are.
> 
> The inspiration for most of Leeann comes from a TikTok'er named Sybil Kappert.  
> She has a video from 9-4-2020 that is basically this fic. 
> 
> Title and some inspiration comes from the 80's song Waiting for a Star to Fall by Boy Meets Girl. Check it out.


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